Forty 2 Days (The Billionaire Banker) by Georgia le Carre Read Free Book Online Page A

has that sort of European chic that comes from teaming box jackets in bold colors with numerous ropes of pearls.
    I am presented to Rêgine.  
    She smiles at me, gives me the once-over, and bustles Fleur and me towards a couple of red velvet chairs.  When we are seated, she turns the sign on the door to closed and begins running around her overcrowded shop humming to herself.  She comes back with three different outfits.  
    ‘ Try that one first,’ suggests Fleur pointing to a fabulous knee-length white dress with a high mandarin collar, three jeweled cut-outs in the shape of leaves in the chest and slits up the thighs.  I take it from Madame.  The material is the softest wool.
    ‘ Only girls with very slim arms can wear the cheongsam,’ says Fleur.  
    ‘ Qui,’ agrees Madame Rêgine.  
    I go behind a heavy velvet curtain, where there are three full-length mirrors.  We have no long mirrors at home.  Billie goes to Marks and Spencer’s changing rooms to see herself nude.  I strip down to my undies.  I can see that I am too skinny.  My ribs and hip bones are showing.  Not a good look.  I used to look better before.  Immediately I begin to worry if I will please Blake.  I remember how attracted to my body he was.  How he used to tell me to take my clothes off, and watch me.  Simply watch me with hungry, fascinated eyes as if I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  What if my body no longer excites him?  
    ‘ Hey, we want to see,’ calls Fleur with a laugh.
    ‘ Coming,’ I say, and slip into the dress.  I zip up and stare at my reflection.  Wow!  I cannot believe how well the dress flatters me.  It makes me look like I have curves.  I turn my head to look at my side—the slit that comes to mid-thigh is at once subtle and sexy.  Feeling reassured, I pull back the curtain.  
    ‘ Magnifique!' sighs the throaty voice.  
    Fleur grins like a Cheshire cat.  ‘You look beautiful, Lana,’ she says and I know that she is being sincere.  
    ‘ But wait…  I have the perfect shoes,’ calls Madame, and rushes off to the back of the shop.  
    She returns with a pair of shoes that are encrusted with similar stones as the ones that edge the leaf-shaped holes in my chest.  They are like Cinderella’s glass slippers.  Only the right girl can fit into them.  I take them from her and step into them.  The shoes fit perfectly—she must have an excellent eye.  
    The powdered face smiles cunningly.   ‘Aaa…but wait….  You must have your hair up.’  
    She plucks from a large vase three jeweled pins and expertly holding my hair up inserts the pins into it.  The European madam, whose age I am slowly having to revise upwards, claps her hands and declares with finality that it is, 'A bsolument fabuleux.’
    I look into the mirror and I have to agree.  Absolutely fabulous.  The dress is truly amazing.  I have never felt so glamorous or sexy in my entire life.  I look at Fleur and she is smiling.  
    ‘ No one can take what is truly yours away from you,’ she says, and I smile.
    We come out of Bijou and Tom is waiting for us.  He puts all our packages into the boot and takes us to the celebrity hairdresser.  
    ‘ You let your fringe grow out,’ Bruce the celebrity hairdresser accuses.
    ‘ I was living in Iran.  Women are not allowed to show their hair in public.  It was easier to let it grow and pull it all back into a bun and throw a scarf over my head,’ I explain.
    ‘ Ah, that takes excellent care of my next “have you been anywhere nice?’ question.’
    I laugh.  I like him.  He’s a rare one, a tough guy hairdresser with a good British sense of humor.  And he has a strong determined jaw and eyes that are subtle, but surely undressing me.  If I am not totally in love with Blake I could fancy him.
    ‘ But honestly,’ he continues, ‘what the devil possessed you to go live in that godforsaken country?’
    ‘ My mother hails from there.’
    ‘ Ah!  I hear it